BLAKE OF SCOTLAND YARD

US, 1937, 73 minutes, Black-and-white.
Ralph Byrd, Herbert Rawlinson, Joan Barclay, Lloyd Hughes, Dickie Jones.
Directed by Bob Hill.


This is a historic curiosity item. And, not particularly worth the curiosity.

In fact, it is a truncated cinema version of a 15 part serial. The scenes in the feature film of all part of the serial which was also directed by Bob Hill.

With so much of the material absent, the film is rather difficult to follow in terms of characters and the motivations. He takes up a popular theme of an invention, a ray which can sink a boat at the vast distances, the villain called Scorpion wanting to steal the invention, his vast array of thugs and connections in the streets of London.

Blake is retired from Scotland Yard and so is not the main character. Rather, this is Jerry, the inventor who works with Blake’s niece, Hope. The film opens with sinister doings in the fogs of London streets, thugs going to the venue for the demonstration of the invention, the gathering of Blake, family and friends in the hopes for the invention to prevent all wars and be a gift to the League of Nations. Not only do the villain steal the invention but also abduct the inventor and the families, holding them hostage – with the action turning to Paris and some exotic turns of the Apache dancers in the club.

The theme was popular at the time in so many of the thrillers, inventions, war and peace – but, as indicated, this is a curiosity item, many considering as a butchering of the television series.